The Apprentice of Meric Fief
by musiclover209
Summary: A Ranger's Apprentice fanfic. Melannen wants desperately to be a Ranger, but when her wish is granted, does she have what it takes? And more importantly, can Gilan train her? Rated T for mild language and battle scenes. Please read and reveiw!
1. The Choosing

One

I couldn't believe how nervous I was. My hands were sweating, my heart was pounding, I was practically hyperventilating, and my legs felt as though I'd just stood up after sailing on a ship for three days. It was the Choosing Day, and it was my turn. I knew I wouldn't find a place anywhere. I was not a boy, so I could not join Battleschool. I didn't have neat handwriting, like Tam Lee, so I would never make it in Scribeschool. I couldn't cook, as Elizabeth could, so the kitchens weren't for me. I was good with animals, but could never control a horse the way my friend Shades could, so Horseschool was out of the question as well.

But my heart fluttered and my hopes lifted as I saw a tall figure wrapped in green and grey standing at the back of the room. He was a Ranger, but that was the extent of my knowledge of the man standing, cloaked and hooded, that stood behind the Baron's desk. A Ranger, now _that _was something I could be! I was quiet, agile, and could climb a tree with the best of the boys. The Baron's assistant beckoned me forward and asked my name. He already knew it, of course, but the formalities had to be observed.

"My name is Melannen Lissënel, my lord," I said confidently. My name was Elvish, as my parents had always craved the exotic before they died, and I was proud of that.

"Do you have any preferences, Melannen?" the Baron asked me.

Get this. For a second, I hesitated. Were girls even _allowed_ in the Ranger Corps? Well, there was no better time than now to find out. "I'd like to be a Ranger, my lord," I said, confidence ringing in my voice.

I was plaintively ignoring the fact that a large amount of mutinous muttering had broken out among the Craftmasters, as well as the fact that Shades and Elizabeth were staring at me as though I'd said I wanted to stand in the path of a charging battlehorse.

"A-a-a Ranger?" the Baron finally managed to choke out. I replied with a simple nod.

"Yes, my lord," I said, the confidence still in my voice. "If that is permitted, of course," I added, not entirely sure.

"G-Gilan?" he asked desperately. There was the slightest pause as all eyes turned to the hooded figure, and I could tell he was choosing his words carefully.

"I will admit," he said, "although it's never happened before, girls _are_ allowed in the Ranger Corps." My heart was in my mouth by now. The Ranger gave me a quick once-over and said, "She has all the qualities we look for in a Ranger, and I see no reason why her wish cannot be fulfilled. Approved and accepted."

I realized with a small jolt that I'd never heard Gilan speak before. His voice was soft and kind, and it was taking all my self-control not to melt with relief on the spot. I _would_ be a Ranger, and by God, I was going to be the best one I could be, starting now.

"Thank you, sir," I said, some of my confidence gone now that I'd been chosen.

Gilan seemed a bit surprised to be addressed so formally. "There is no need for thanks," he said. If he hadn't had his hood up, I could have sworn he was smiling at me.

"All right," the Baron finally seemed to have regained some composure. "All of you will report to the proper station at eight o'clock, except for Melannen, who will report at six."

With that, both wardmates and Craftmasters left the room in silence.

* * *

"Are you out of your _mind_, Melannen?" Elizabeth demanded of me once we were back at the ward's girls' dormitory. "You, a Ranger! I'm waiting for the shock to wake me up from this." 

"I could say the same thing," Shades said, brushing a stray blond lock off her face, "What in God's name were you _thinking_?"

"I was thinking I wanted to be a Ranger," I said hotly, "And I still do, which is why I'm glad I was accepted. And for those of you who think I'm kidding, I'll repeat myself: I'm _glad_ I was chosen to be a Ranger!"

They both stared at me as though I'd just grown a third eye. "You're insane," Elizabeth said fervently. "Completely and totally insane."

I sighed. "You two are _hopeless_," I said, hurrying off to enjoy my last day at Meric Castle.


	2. Goodbyes and First Days

Two

The next day at 6:00, Elizabeth and Shades came to see me off. Shades, I noted, wore a strange hat atop her blond hair. It was black, floppy, and, I noted, more than a bit too big. Elizabeth seemed to notice it too, for she suddenly asked, "Shades, where did you get that hat?"

Shades grinned, her blue eyes gleaming. "Oh, I, uh, got it from a friend," she said offhandedly.

"Uh-huh," I said sarcastically, "Tell me, did you take the hat from Van Helsing before or after you knocked him out?"

Elizabeth's eyes lit, and she giggled. Then, she lowered her gaze from mine. "Goodbye," she said sadly, brushing her dark hair from her face.

"You don't have to worry about me," I said, "We'll see each other again, you wait and see."

So, with a sad wave goodbye, and a bright new hope rising in me, I headed off.

Gilan's cabin was surprisingly small. There was smoke coming out of the chimney, so I assumed the Ranger was already up and about. I went up too the door and knocked, my confidence wavering. I didn't exactly know what Rangers _did_.

"Come in," came Gilan's voice from inside. Nervously, I opened the door and walked inside.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Redmont Feif on the other side of the kingdom of Araluen, a boy named Will was facing the results of his own Choosing. Now, we all should know what happens to our dear friend Will as of this moment, so now we're going to switch you to the stuff you _don't_ know! For example, in Transylvania, a very confused Van Helsing has awoken to find himself tied to a chair and his hat missing. In a science lab in Death Valley, a biologist has found that his syringe of avian DNA is missing. What does this mean? Who knows! And, I bet none of you care, either. Lol, later! Now, on with the story!

* * *

Shades sighed miserably as she shuffled off to her quarters. Her first day of Horseschool was over. She had had a good time taking care of things, for she loved all sorts of animals, but she had missed Melannen. She wondered what her friend was doing right now.

* * *

Melannen happened to be doing chores. The girl had been considerably surprised when she found out that the first task of a Ranger's apprentice was the housework.

Gilan chuckled softly as he heard a splash and a small cry, realizing that Melannen had slipped and fallen into the river while collecting water. Still smiling to himself, he turned away from the window as Melannen, dripping wet from her fall, carried the last bucket of water to the storage barrels at the back of the cabin.

* * *

After I dried off a bit from my fall into the river, it was time to eat. Dinner was made by me as well. Thank goodness I could cook, to a certain extent. Lucky for me, that was all the experience with cooking I needed. I headed for bed soon after, still wondering what I would have to do to become a Ranger.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! I hope you like my story! A preveiw of chapter 3: Gilan learns the unfortunate consequences of teaching Melannen archery, Shades makes some new enemies at Horseschool, and Elizabeth decsovers an interesing development. A great big thanks to my buds Erin and Liz, who inspired me to create Shades (Erin) and Elizabeth (Liz). So stay tuned, lol, and see if any of you Lord of the Rings fans out there can guess what Melannen's last name means! 


	3. Bullies, Wings, and Really Bad Aim

Chapter 3

"Where are we going?" I asked for about the hundredth time that morning. Gilan had been leading me through the woods, and my curiosity was overwhelming.

Gilan, rather than answering my question, stopped in a nearby clearing and set down a large bundle. "These," he told me, "are the weapons you will be using." He then opened the package.

There wasn't much inside it. A small bow was the first thing I saw, with a cuff laying beside it. I assumed the cuff was to protect my arm from the bowstring after I shot. There was a quiver there as well, filled with twenty-four arrows with brown feathered fletching. There was also a double scabbard with two knives in it.

I was shocked. Growing up in the ward, I'd had almost no possessions of my own. Now I had a bow, a quiver of arrows, a protective cuff, and two knives. Weapons or not, I could hardly believe that they were mine now.

Gilan began to show me how to put on the cuff, and then the proper way to hold the bow. I learned how to nock the arrow on the string and fire the bow properly. I was instructed how I was to use the large saxe knife and the smaller throwing knife. My head was spinning with all the new things I was learning. In the corner of my mind, I wondered what Shades and Elizabeth were doing right now.

* * *

Elizabeth raced to finish rolling out the last bit of dough for the mince pies that would be served at lunch that day. The kitchen work was demanding, requiring speed and accuracy. But Elizabeth loved cooking, and was happy to work at what she loved. Wincing, she stretched her stiff shoulders. She had a secret, a secret she didn't dare tell even Melannen and Shades: _she had wings_. They tucked into her back, and in that manner she kept them hidden.

No one knew about her wings. No one could know, because if they did, she would be shunned for her abnormality, or killed for suspected witchcraft. So, she kept them secret.

* * *

"What do you want?" Shades asked the two boys facing her. Their names were Adan and Ryan, and they were also being taught at the Horseschool.

"We want to know how a mutant Ward brat got into Horseschool," Ryan sneered. Shades was a wolf-maiden, her tendency to walk on two legs and her voice being the only things that marked her as anything more than a large dog with clothes on.

Shades' eyes narrowed. These boys had no right to make fun of her for being different. "Sorry to disappoint you," she said icily, "but I'd rather not tell you anything more except that I was selected for Horseschool at the Choosing. That's all that matters, anyway."

Now the boys' eyes narrowed in return. Adan stepped forward and struck Shades across the face. "You watch your mouth, wolf girl," he said angrily, "Or I'll just have to…deal with you."

Shades understood the threat perfectly, but chose not to care. "Bring it on, then," she replied smoothly, "How about in the woods across the river at four today?"

Ryan grinned sardonically, "Fine with us. See you at four, wolf girl."

* * *

I groaned in exasperation as yet another shot missed the target I was aiming at. I'd never be able to hit the broad side of a barn at this rate, much less a Skandian or a Wargal.

"Keep trying," Gilan encouraged me from where he stood off to the side of the farthest left target. With three arrows left in my quiver, I tried again, aiming for the target Gilan was standing next to.

There was a cry of shock and surprise as my arrow went wide, heading left of the target I'd chosen. Gilan ducked down, but he wasn't fast enough; my arrow had already pinned him to the tree behind him by the hood of his cloak.

Feeling very guilty, I hurried over to remove my arrow from the tree and free Gilan.

"I guess I'm going to have to practice a lot more," I said, still feeling guilty and embarrassed.

"Yes," Gilan said, "yes you are."

* * *

Ha ha ha, poor Gilan! So, did you like my new chapter? Tell me what you think!


	4. Knockouts and Ranger Horses

**Author's Note: **I do not own _Ranger's Apprentice_. That is solely the genius of John Flanagan. I also do not own Shades. She belongs to my friend Erin, whom I have borrowed her from with permission.

* * *

Chapter Four

Shades walked slowly behind the stables to where she was to meet Ryan and Adan. She was once again wearing Van Helsing's hat. Turning the corner, she wasn't surprised to see that the boys were already there, waiting for her.

"So, wolf girl," Adan said, smirking, "shall we get started?"

Shades balled her paws into fists. This was going to be the last time anyone called her wolf girl. Ryan moved forward to strike, and she lashed out, scything the boy's legs out from under him. Before either could perform another attack, she had knocked them to the ground, and they did not try to get up. Triumphant, Shades walked away. _Now, who else wants some of this?_

* * *

I was a little confused as to why I was here. Gilan had said something about getting me a horse, so we'd come to the Ranger horse breeder. The shaggy pony in front of me was a beautiful strawberry roan color, and its mane was white.

"Her name's Shadowmere," the horse breeder said.

"You'll need to learn how to ride her," Gilan added, then turned to the horse breeder. "If you teach her how to get this one saddled up, we can see how well she can ride."

So after I learned how to tack up Shadowmere, I was supposed to learn how to ride her. _Ok,_ I thought, _no worries. I've just _never ridden a horse before_, that's all._

So, the first thing for me to do was get on. Gilan was grinning, and I was a bit curious as to why. Before I could ponder this, however, the shaggy little pony jumped up and gave a tremendous kick, and I was catapulted into the air. I landed hard on the ground, to the amusement of those watching.

"What did I do wrong?" I asked, feeling very foolish.

"Nothing," Gilan said, "At least, not if this were an ordinary horse. Ranger horses are trained to know a certain code word. If you don't tell them the word before you ride them the first time, they'll just kick you off. By the way," Gilan now addressed the horse breeder, "What _is _Shadowmere's code word?"

The horse breeder paused for a moment, then said, "This one's code word is '_noro lim_'," he said, "I haven't the faintest idea what it means, though."

Gilan had turned to tell me what to do, but I was already speaking into the horse's ear.

"_Noro lim_," I said softly. Shadowmere tossed her head, and I mounted her quickly. Then, I rode her easily, my inner horsewoman taking over.

By this time, the sun was starting to go down, so Gilan and I rode home, with me on Shadowmere and Gilan on his own horse, Blaze. Now I was sure I'd be a good Ranger.

* * *

**Author's note: **Sorry about the shortness of this chapter, but I was running a bit low on ideas. Anyway, next chapter: Melannen meets Halt and Will, and the chase for the Kalkara begins! So stat tuned, lol! ; ) 


	5. New Friends, Old Allies, and the Kalkara

Chapter Five

Several months had passed, and spring was in the air as Gilan and I left Meric fief. Apparently, there was a festival called the Gathering taking place. I was to be tested in my Ranger skills to see if I would move on to learn other things from Gilan. My skill with the bow had improved miraculously, and I was already very good with my knives. There was one ability, though, that I still kept secret.

Gilan had told me that Halt, his own teacher, and his new apprentice were going to be at the Gathering as well. He said that it was a Ranger tradition for former apprentices to try and catch their masters off guard, and that was what we were going to do to Halt and his apprentice.

"You see," Gilan had explained to me the night previously, "Halt doesn't know you're with me." He grinned as he continued, "The truth of the matter is, he doesn't know that I'd decided to choose an apprentice this year.

"So, what we're going to do is this: after Halt's apprentice catches _me_ off guard, which he certainly will, it will be _your_ job to make sure that _they're _caught off guard in turn."

I had a plan already, of course. Halt's apprentice was bound to be hiding somewhere, most likely in a tree, so I would hide in a bush near the area Gilan had chosen for the plan. When the three of them were talking, I would jump out of the bush and pounce on the apprentice. Everyone in Araluen had heard of Halt, so I wasn't about to make him my target. It was known that he had little sense of humor and a blazing temper.

We reached the spot later that day. We'd been trailing Halt and his apprentice for a while now, Blaze and Shadowmere keeping in perfect stride with each other to hide the fact that there were two of us. Eventually, we left the horses at the side of the road, and we took off into the forest. I hid behind a bush near the small clearing area, where a figure I assumed to be Halt was pretending to observe some sort of animal track.

In an instant, Gilan was behind him. "Halt, Halt!" he said cheerfully, and the older Ranger turned around, brushing dirt off the knees of his leggings as he did so.

The two of them talked for a while, until a black-shafted arrow slammed into the tree closest to me. Gilan jumped and turned in the direction the shot had come from.

Halt gave a dry chuckle. "Come down, Will," he called to the boy hiding in the tree, "and meet Gilan, one of our more careless Rangers."

The boy, Will, hopped down from his perch and flipped his hood back. His hair was light brown and tousled slightly, and his eyes were a darker shade of brown. He was very small, I noted, but still just half a head shorter than Halt, who remained hooded. The three chatted a while longer, then began to move back towards their horses. As Will passed, I made my move.

I leaped out of the bushes with an excited cry, grabbing the boy's ankles and sending him sprawling to the ground. Halt looked surprised beneath the cowl of his cloak, and Gilan laughed.

"Well Halt, I bet you weren't expecting _that_, now were you?" he said happily as I released Will and scrambled to my feet.

"As ashamed as I am to admit it, you caught me at last," Halt replied, "You never said that you'd taken on an apprentice!"

Gilan grinned. "Well, Will, Halt, meet Melannen, one of our sneakier apprentices."

All right, I admit it, I blushed. But, once the casualties were done and over with, we all mounted our horses and rode off towards the Gathering.

* * *

When we reached the Gathering at last, it was clear that some sort of commotion was going on. Gilan, Will, and I went to find a camping spot while Halt went to some big tent to find out what the heck was going on.

We found out from Halt a little over half an hour later. Apparently, someone named Lord Lorriac was dead, killed by one of Morgarath's minions. I shuddered. Everyone in Araluen had heard of Morgarath, the dark ruler of the Mountains of Rain and Night. Apparently, he had enlisted the help of a pair of creatures called the Kalkara, and the very kingdom was at risk.

So, with this in mind, we began to hunt the Kalkara.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Oooh, did I leave you guys on a cliffie? (hides from readers) Anyway, I have finally gotten over my writer's block, and more updates are on the way! So stay tuned, lol! ; ) 


	6. Stone Flutes and An Ambush

Chapter 6

We had been riding for a while when we reached the Solitary Plain. Halt told us about the Plains and the Stone Flutes- a ring of stones that made an eerie, high-pitched keening sound- and I would have been content to go no further. But unfortunately, it was the fastest way to the Kalkara's lair, so we would have to ride through them.

Will squirmed in his saddle, and I regarded him curiously. Then, I felt what he must have been feeling: a strange feeling, like something was wrong. I couldn't tell what was causing the feeling. Unlike Will, however, I did not squirm, but instead went rigid in the saddle. Halt must have noticed this, because he spoke to the two of us now.

"Can you hear it?" he asked, "It's the Stones."

Now that he mentioned it, I _could _hear it: a high-pitched, unnatural wailing sound carried on the wind. After a while, everyone seemed to be affected by the sound. I was still rigid astride Shadowmere, Will squirmed uncertainly, and Halt seemed even grimmer than usual. Even Gilan, usually so bright and cheerful, sat in gloomy silence.

That night was quiet, save for the Stones, and it was totally unnerving. I took a watch like everyone else, and we set off early the next day. A Plainsman crossed our path, but we did not fire, because we couldn't be sure if it was working for the Kalkara or not.

That night, the screaming started.

Halt had taken first watch, and I'd barely slept for an hour when Gilan shook me awake. The sound was awful, too horrible to be described. "What is it?" I finally managed to squeak.

"It's the Kalkara," Halt said grimly, "they're hunting."

The sound of the Kalkara's cries pierced the near silence again, and I shuddered. Gilan moved to saddle Blaze, but Halt stopped him.

"I'm not going after those things in the dark," he said, and I silently agreed. "We'll have to wait until morning."

* * *

The next day, we found the Kalkara's trail. It was so big that you'd have to be half-blind to miss it. The grass was crushed into two large tracks, each several hundred meters apart. Will and Halt took the left path, and Gilan and I took the right one. 

We didn't meet any trouble along the way, and we continued following the path throughout the night. The next morning, the paths met, becoming one large track towards the northeast. Halt told us that there were only two places the Kalkara could be headed: The Gorlan Ruins, the remains of Morgarath's former fiefdom, or further east, Castle Araluen itself.

It was quickly decided that Will would borrow Blaze from Gilan and take a message to the Baron of Castle Redmont, and Halt would move ahead after the Kalkara. I was to walk with Gilan, leading Shadowmere behind me.

We set off, and I will admit I felt a little jittery. The Kalkara had no reason to go to the Gorlan Ruins, and the thought of them going straight for Castle Araluen made no sense. Halt had said that they were going after those who had caused Morgarath the most grief during his first rebellion, and since Halt had led the actual cavalry attack that foiled him, it would seem more likely that…I gasped as the realization struck me.

"Gilan," I said urgently, "this doesn't make sense! If Morgarath is using the Kalkara to get revenge, why would he send them to the Gorlan Ruins? The place is uninhabited, as it's been for almost sixteen years!"

This thought seemed to cross Gilan's mind as soon as I said it. "It _is_ an unlikely play for him to send the Kalkara straight to Castle Araluen, especially since it was Halt who led the cavalry that ended his rebellion."

"So," I said, really on a roll now, "wouldn't it make more sense to make them wait at the Gorlan Ruins for an ambush? And if Halt caused Morgarath the most grief last time, it would make the most sense…"

Gilan finished my sentence for me. "…if they waited to ambush Halt!" he exclaimed.

I felt something then, a feeling that somewhere, someone was walking straight into a trap. "I have a secret," I whispered to Gilan. At his inquiring look, I continued. "I'm not a normal girl."

"I know you're not," Gilan replied, "The normal girls you stayed with must have thought you were out of your mind, asking to be a Ranger."

"I mean besides that," I said, still speaking softly," "I'm a psychic. I can sense things that can't be seen. It's like a sixth sense. And right now, what I'm feeling is that Halt is walking right into the _biggest _trap he could have ever anticipated."

Gilan stared at me for a moment in utter shock. "Forget about your orders," he said firmly, "and listen to what I tell you. Get on Shadowmere, and find Halt _as quickly as possible_. If he doesn't know about this, those things will kill him. Don't stop. Go at forced march pace, you'll get there the quickest that way. Stop Halt if you can. Otherwise, the Kalkara are weak against fire, so fight them with it if you can. And for goodness sake, _be careful_!"

"All right," I said, "I'll do my best."

He smiled at me. "I know you will. Now, go."

So I mounted Shadowmere and took off at a steady canter, leaving Gilan in my wake.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yay! It's almost done! I'm considering writing a sequel, tracing Melannen's adventures through _The Burning Bridge_, but I won't do it until I get at least five total reviews. My anonymous reviewing is up, so if you want to see a sequel, hit that review button! 


	7. The Ruins of Gorlan

**Author's Note: **This chapter is for Erin, because she's been the one getting on me that I don't update this story enough. Anyways, here's the new chapter! Also, I do not own _Ranger's Apprentice_. If I did, Will never would have gotten captured in Book 2.

* * *

Seven

I rode as hard and fast as the forced march pace I was going at would allow, desperate to find Halt. If the Kalkara killed him…everyone knew of Halt's reputation. No Halt basically meant Morgarath had pretty much won. So, keeping this in mind, I pushed Shadowmere hard, heading directly to the Gorlan Ruins. I'd ridden on all last night, but I didn't think of stopping. As night fell, I heard what I had dreaded to think of.

The screaming had started again.

I forgot about the forced march pace, and pushed Shadowmere to a hard gallop. A huge column of flame rose into the sky, and I realized Halt must have built a fire to frighten the Kalkara. All too quickly, I was at the ruins.

A huge bonfire was burning, and I could see Halt a little ways off, firing at what had to be the Kalkara. The creatures looked like bears standing on their hind legs, but their fur was matted down as though they had scales. I could see the face of one, apelike with burning red eyes. I knew about their stare, the one that freezes you to the spot in pure terror, but I felt nothing, as the creature was focusing only on Halt. I considered calling out to him, but discarded the idea, as it would give the Kalkara the chance to strike while he was distracted.

Now, the Kalkara were too close for Halt to safely fire at them, and one lashed out and snapped his sturdy longbow clean in two. The second faltered, about a dozen arrows sticking out of its chest, every one within the extraordinary space of about a square centimeter of the one closest to it. Halt drew his saxe knife and struck at the first Kalkara, but the beast turned and caught him in its paralyzing gaze. Thinking fast, I moved to grab an arrow from my quiver, dismounting, but it was too late. Halt had wrenched his eyes from the creature's as it attacked him, slicing three long gashes into the Ranger's thigh. Then, unarmed and bleeding, Halt scrambled into the relative safety of the ruins.

* * *

It was only about five minutes later when Will arrived. Two men on heavy-set battle horses were riding with him. One ordered Will to move a safe distance away, and I thought fast. 

"Will!" I called to him, "Over here!"

He turned and saw me, then trotted over on his horse, Tug, I think its name was. The two knights charged the weaker Kalkara, sending it into the fire Halt had made, where it burst into a blinding white blaze.

"Where's Gilan?" Will asked, peering around as though he expected to see the other Ranger join us.

"He sent me ahead as soon as we figured it out," I said in dismay, "I _knew_ those things couldn't be headed straight for Castle Araluen, I knew it!"

"Where's _Halt_?" he said, real fear in his voice now.

"In the ruins, somewhere," I said, realizing that I was worried too, "One of the Kalkara cut him up pretty badly, I think. I only got here about five or six minutes ago."

Will looked worried and frightened, so I did the best I could to calm him down. "I'm sure he'll be all right. He _has_ to be all right!"

Suddenly, Will looked up at the walls of the ruins. Following his gaze, I spotted a shadowy figure struggling to the top of the nearest wall to us. "It's Halt!" Will cried, sounding almost joyous.

The two knights looked to the wall as well. "Jump, Halt!" one cried, "Jump!"

Halt leapt from the wall, rolling as he hit the ground to break his fall. Then he scrambled to his feet and hurried over to the two knights. The Kalkara, however, leapt from the wall as well, covering the distance between it and Halt in a single bound. The thing lifted its paw and struck Halt with all its might. With the smallest cry of pain, the Ranger collapsed like a ton of bricks, unconscious before he hit the ground.

Next to me, I felt Will's heart beat fearfully faster as the two knights charged, one waving a heavy battleaxe above his head, the other holding a sword. "Look," Will suddenly said, "something's hit the Kalkara's left eye…"

"It'll have been Halt's throwing knife, no doubt," I replied knowingly.

"How do you know it was the throwing knife?" he asked, distracted for a moment as one knight was knocked to the ground by the Kalkara.

"I saw the Kalkara knock Halt's saxe knife out of his hand," I explained, "It would've been the only one he had left."

Will nodded, then gasped as the knight with the battleaxe was frozen by the creature's gaze. The Kalkara screamed its victory to the skies, and Will plucked a pitch (that's tar, to you people who aren't savvy about this time period)-covered torch from the nearest bracket.

"What the hell are you doing?" I hissed at him.

"Finishing that that thing off," he snapped back. I watched, amazed, as he covered one of his arrowheads in the sticky black substance, then lit it with the embers remaining on the torch. Then, carefully, he fitted the arrow on his bowstring and fired, causing the Kalkara to turn and look at the small bit of light.

The arrow hit its mark dead on, causing the creature to light up like a Christmas tree in a fiery white ball. As the creature fell to the ground, stone dead, I let out a victorious shout.

"You did it, Will!" I cried, throwing my arms about him, "That was amazing! I never thought of doing that!"

Will blushed scarlet as the knight who had been paralyzed by the Kalkara's gaze shook his head, looking rather confused. Then, reality struck us hard, and we rushed over to the sides of Halt and the other knight, who Will informed me was the Baron of Redmont Fief.

Something told me that this was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So? Liked it? Hated it? Want me to continue? I want to write a sequel to this, but I won't do it until I get a total of five reviews. I only need two more, so click the review button already! Please! 


	8. Going Home

**Author's Note: **Well, here we go, anther chapter! A big BIG thanks to **futures past115**, who's reviewed this story from the beginning. I need ONE MORE REVIEW to write a sequel, so please hit the little button at the bottom that lets you say nice things to me!

* * *

Eight

I rushed over to the sides of Halt and the Baron, fear gripping me as I neared the Ranger. The other knight, who turned out to be the Battlemaster of Redmont, Sir Rodney, moved to the Baron's side. Will raced over to Halt, and I followed. I checked him for a pulse, and was relieved to find it slow and steady. He was all right, I realized, just unconscious.

"All right," I muttered, "I think I can do this…" Will gave me a funny little look, but I ignored him. I racked my brains for the right charm. "_Imadril._" I whispered the charm, and Will gave me another funny look, which Sir Rodney also gave me.

Halt stirred now, and Will hastily stifled a gasp. His eyes fluttered open, and he sat up with a small groan as the pain from his injury undoubtedly shot through him.

"Are you all right?" Will's voice was small and scared.

"I think so," Halt said softly, but the pain from his injury ruined his little act. He gasped as the pain shot through him again.

"Hold still," I commanded, and Halt did not move, to the apparent amazement of those watching. I was surprised that he was being so…cooperative. _That Kalkara must have hit him harder than I thought_, I mused, _I'd think he'd be humiliated by being ordered to lie still by a fourteen-year-old girl. _

I checked Halt's wound, then wrapped it carefully in a gauze bandage that just happened to be in my pack (you didn't think I'd go anywhere without some medical supplies, did you?). Then I left him to tend to the Baron's wounds. When I was done, both men were "all right", or as all right as they were going to be without proper medical attention.

"We'll have to camp here for the night," Sir Rodney said, "There's no way we can get anywhere tonight."

All the others agreed, and so we made a makeshift camp at the ruins. I secretly stayed awake while the others dropped off, as we had set no watch. I decided that I wouldn't rest until all the others were asleep. The Baron and Sir Rodney were asleep first, then Will. Halt was being adamant, and stayed awake for a long time. Finally, I began to hum softly, and I felt consciousness leave him as he fell asleep.

* * *

Gilan showed up the next morning. He'd been worried about Halt, of course, but he was immediately reassured on that note. Now Halt and Will left for Redmont with Sir Rodney and the Baron, and Gilan and I rode off for home.

"Well," I said, "that certainly could have gone…better…"

Gilan laughed. "It certainly could have," he said, "but it's done now. And with any luck, it'll never happen again."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I still have one more chapter! Go on people; click the magic little button that says "Go" next to "Submit review"! Pleeeaaaase! I'm begging you! 


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